News: presidential term limits

Letter to Editor of the Daily News On Tuesday and Wednesday(September 7th and 8th) of this week, The Daily News ran a two-part article by Dr. T.C. Rajaratnam in defense of the 18th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. The first part of that article contained many references to American history, implying that the experience of the U.S. somehow supports this recent increase in Presidential power in Sri Lanka. It does not. Only one American President has ever served more than two terms, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He did so during two great national and global crises--the Depression of the 1930's and the Second World War. When those exceptional circumstances passed, Congress soon ratified the Twenty-Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prevents any President from serving more than two terms. At that time, the American people recognized that although extraordinary powers may have been necessary in an emergency, they would only harm democracy in the long run. Presidential term limits play a vital role in democracies. They limit the power that can accrue to one person or one party and help more citizens and stakeholders to participate in governing. Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis Posted by US Embassy Colombo at 7:39 PM